Device for opening jars.



Patented on. 24, I899; C. H. COLKITT &. J. W. PENTZ.

DEVICE Fon OPENING .mzs.

(Application filed May 4, 1899.)

(No Model.)

CHARLES H. COLKITT AND JOHN lVpPENTZ, OF DUBOIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR OPENING JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,662, dated October24, 1899. Application filed Mar, 1899. Serial No. 715,575. (NomodelJ To rtZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. OoLKITr and JOHN W. PENTZ, citizens of the United States, residing at Dubois, in the county of Clearfield'and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Opening Jars; and we do herebydeclare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Jars, bottles, and like vessels used for storing conserved fruits, jellies, vegetables, pickles, and the likeand sealed by screw-cap closures are difficult of opening after standing and require the use of an implement or Wrench to start the cap. Such implement can with equal advantage be used for screwing the cap home or giving the final turn thereto.

This invention provides an implement which will equalize the grip upon all portions of the cap, thereby obviating injury to either the jar or vessel or to the closure, which will be convenient of operation, insure a firm and positive grip being obtained upon the cap, capable of use in connection with closures of different size, the clamp band or ring being removable from the tongs, so as to be replaced by another of the required size, and which can be packed and stored in a small space.

Theimprovementconsists of a pair of tongs having their jaws divergent and formed in their inner faces, adjacent to their terminals, with recesses and having the inner corners of the said terminals made rounding and notched and formed with shoulders intermediate the said recesses and notches, and an intercepted spring ring or band having disk-like terminals or heads notched in the edges adjacent to the body or main portion of the ring to receive the aforesaid shoulders of the jaws of the tongs.

The improvement also consists of the novel features and details of construction which hereinafter will be more fully described and claimed. 7

Within the scope of the invention various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be made without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of A the device. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the spring clamp ring or band. Fig.3 is adetail perspective view of a jaw. Fig. 4 is a detail View. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated inall the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The tongs 1 consist of companion levers 2, crossing near their front ends and pivotally connected, the crossing portions being expanded and halved, so as to admit of the levers lying in the same plane. The jaws 3 have their inner corners made rounding and formed with recesses 4 in their inner faces adjacent to their terminals, said recesses being approximately of half-round outline to conform to the disk-shaped heads provided at the terminals of the intercepted spring clamp ring or band 5. V The round corners of the jaws are formed with notches or depressions 6, which form seats to receive the portions of the clamp-ring 5 adjacent to their headed terminals. Shoulders 7 are formed intermediate of the recesses at and the notches or depressions 6 and are adapted to interlock with the headed ends of the clamp-ring 5 by entering the notches thereof. The levers 2 have a limited opening and closing movement, said movements being controlled by the shoulders formed at the ends of the recesses in the sides of the levers at their points of crossing.

The spring clamp ring or band 5 is formed of a length of spring-wire bent into approximately circular outline, the terminals being spaced apart a short distance and formed with heads 8 of approximately disk form and having notches 9 in their edges adjacent to the body portion of the ring,and which notches are adapted to receive the shoulders 7 of the jaws 3. The heads 8 are flat and enter the recesses 4:, whereas the portions of the ring adjacent to the heads enter the notches or depressions 6. The walls of the recesses 4: and depressions 6 embrace the sides of the terminal portions of the ring and hold the latter in the plane of the tongs and prevent any appreciable lateral play thereof. The spring clamp-ring is normally under tension and exerts an outward pressure against the inner faces of the jaws 3, so as to hold them separated or spread.

The clamp-ring can be readily applied or disconnected from the tongs by compressing the terminal portions so as to withdraw one or both heads 8 from the recesses 4:. This construction admits of a clamp-ring of required size being applied to the tongs, so as to adapt the implement to any required size of screw cap or closure of a jar or like vessel.

In practice the clamp-ring is passed over the screw-cap and the ends of the levers 2 are compressed, thereby contracting the clampring and causing it to grip the cap in such a manner as to equalize the strain upon all portions and prevent possible slipping.

It is to be understood that several clamprings of different sizes will be provided with a single pair of tongs, so as to beinterchangeably applied thereto, whereby the range of usefulness of the device is increased.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. An implement of the character set forth, comprising a pair of tongs having recesses in the inner faces of the jaws adjacent to their outer ends and having shoulders at the outer ends of said recesses, and a spring clamp-ring intercepted and having the intercepted terminals provided with heads of approximately disk form to enter the said recesses and provided with notches adjacent to the body of the ring to receive the aforementioned shoulders, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described implement for the purposes set forth, consisting of a pair of tongs having the inner corners of the jaws made rounding and formed with depressions, and having recesses in theinner faces of the jaws, and shoulders intermediate of the said depressions and recesses, and an intercepted spring clam p-rin g having its terminals formed with heads of approximately disk form and notched in the edges adjacent to the body of the ring to receive the aforementioned shoulders, the heads entering the recesses of the jaws and the portions of the ring adjacent to the heads entering the depressions of said jaws, the parts being combined to admit of the detachment of the clan1p-ring from the tongs and the spread of the latter by the tension of the clamp-ring, substantially in the manner specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. COLKITT. [L. s]

JOHN PENTZ. L. s]

Witnesses:

SHERIDAN J. DALY,

XV. O. PENTZ. 

